TV shows like “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Masterchef” have had huge commercial success by portraying the intensity of working in a high-class kitchen. However, there are rarely any shows that delve deep into the chefs’ lives and answer a crucial question of viewers: Why are chefs like Gordon Ramsey so stressed out all the time? Well, this show may help you understand why and even help you destress.
Released in 2022, “The Bear” has been a huge success. Streamed exclusively on Hulu, the show has earned a 99% on Rotten Tomato and an 8.6 on IMDb. The lead, Jeremy Allen White, won a Best Actor Emmy for his performance in the show.
“The Bear” is set in a sandwich shop in the city of Chicago. Carmen, our protagonist, used to work in a Michelin-starred restaurant as the head chef. He was on magazines and TV shows, winning Best Up-and-Coming Chef that year. The future was looking bright for the Chicago native. Unfortunately, tragedy struck when his older brother, Mikey, ended his own life and left Carmen with his sandwich shop in Chicago. The show begins with Carmen coming back to take over the family business.
What Mikey failed to tell him was what a mess the shop was. Because of his brother’s drug addiction, the shop is barely making ends meet and is on the verge of bankruptcy. All the workers are squeezed into a small dirty environment. They have to scream, “CORNER!” every time they squeeze past a corner of the tray racks or else they’ll get hit by someone carrying a hot tub of soup. Sanitation is a mess; no one cares about the quality of the food as long as they are selling it, and the machines they have constantly broken down. Not only that, but the people are hard to manage. Everyone has their own idea of how to run the restaurant and responds badly to criticism. The show just shows them yelling and arguing with each other. However, this messy style is what makes “The Bear” such a unique show.
The messiness is not just the people; it is the environment. With the sound of stoves lighting up and intensely rhythmic electrical music, the camera points directly at the clock, indicating that it’s time to get to work. Orders need to be screamed out, food needs to be rushed to the counter, and shots of Carmen intensely chopping veggies only further exacerbate the feeling of anxiety. It is truly a warzone.
However, if the show were just chaotic, it would not be worth a watch. The fights are never just to show the bad situations they are in, but rather to contrast the calm scenarios which come mostly in scenes featuring the food. All the food scenes use warm colors, giving people a feeling of acceptance and belonging. The food establishes a bridge from person to person. The staff, no matter how bad the situation is or how much trouble they get into, always come together when they sit together to enjoy a meal.
Yes, complaining is the main tapestry of life, and it’s okay to complain from time to time. The complaints aren’t always negative; it may just be a new opportunity in life.
